Concealment
by AdmHawthorne
Summary: What do when one has issues covering up the evidence...


**One Shot/Ficlet.**

**Characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. They belong to Tess, TNT, and those types.**

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><p>It was a hickey.<p>

As far as hickeys went, this one was a doozy. Too high up to be covered by most of her shirt collars, too low to wear a scarf to cover it up, and too dark to cover up well with any of the concealers she had at home.

It was a hickey, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, she let out a sigh. Yes, her hair could cover it, but she really couldn't be bothered to make certain it stayed in place for the next week until the bruising lightened up enough that any concealer she had at home would actually work well. She could go buy concealer that would work to cover it, but she really didn't want to buy makeup for the purpose. She could wear a bandage and tell people she was hurt on the job, but she was certain no one would believe her. She could lie about where the hickey had come from, but she knew the rest of the department would figure it out eventually anyway. When you work with detectives and they want to know something, they generally find out whether you want them to or not.

She could call in sick.

No, she really couldn't do that, but the idea was tempting.

Giving a heavy sigh, she stepped out of the bathroom and into her bedroom where a form lay peacefully sleeping in her bed. For a quiet moment, she stood and simply looked. She'd thought about seeing this exact thing hundreds of times, and the fact that it was now actually happening was nothing short of miraculous as far as she was concerned.

She crawled into her side and wrapped around the warm body, laying light kisses over the elegant neck and striking features of the other woman, kissing her awake. "Hey, Maur, it's time to get up."

"Hmmm?" Maura scooted back, pulling Jane's arm around her, using the detective's body as a blanket.

"You have to get up, Babe. It's getting late, and we have to go to work. Shower's all yours. I'm done in there." Jane tried to gently pull away, but the doctor's grip was surprisingly strong.

"We could call in." Maura rolled over, snuggling in against her new lover. "There's nothing pressing to be done today."

"Tempting, but no. We have to go in, and," Jane gently extracted herself from the bed, "we have to go by the store or talk about what to do when everyone finds out today that we finally decided to sleep with each other."

Sleepy hazel eyes looked up in confusion as Maura's hands tried to pull Jane back into the bed. "Why would we need to go to the store?"

"Because you gave me the biggest hickey I think I've ever had, and nothing I've got – clothes or otherwise – will cover it." Jane smirked at the sudden horrified look on the honey blonde's face. "When you stake your claim, you _really_ stake your claim, Babe."

"Oh no," Maura sat up, not bothering or not noticing the covers slipping down to reveal her perfectly nude form. "Let me see it."

"Its fine," Jane's eyes were wide, breathing starting to become slightly irregular. "You need to go take a shower and get ready for work… or put something on before I jump you again."

"What are you… oh," Maura looked down, realizing the issue, "Hold on a moment." She leaned forward and picked up the t-shirt Jane had been wearing the night before from the floor where it had landed. After pulling it on, she redirected her gaze back to the other woman. "Better?"

"Depends on your definition of better." The brunette smirked.

"Jane."

"What? I'm just saying, if I had my way, you'd be naked all the time." Her smirk turned into a mischievous grin, a blush falling across her features as she pictured Maura doing all sorts of interesting things while nude.

"Though I'm sure there are a great many who would love to see that at the station, I'd rather not, if it's all the same." Rising on her knees so she could be eyelevel with the detective but still be on the bed, Maura reached out to turn Jane's head. "I've never done that before. I'm sorry, Jane. If you want, you can go to the store, and I'll get ready, walk Joe, and we can meet at the station."

"Why would I do that?" Jane yanked her face away from Maura's demanding hand and gave her a questioning look.

"So you can buy a better concealer. I know how you feel about the others finding out about us and…"

"Whoa, hold on second. What do you mean you know 'how I feel'?" Dark eyes narrowed.

"I just mean," Maura sat back on her heels, looking very uncertain as she continued, "that you've mentioned in the past how uncomfortable it would be to be anymore… different than you already are at work, and I don't want to be the cause of additional stress there. So, if you'd rather them not see the mark, I understand. I'm more than capable of taking care of the morning routine while you leave to get what you need to cover it up."

"Okay, first of all… you know what? There's no 'first of all'," Jane's voice was starting to form the growl Maura associated with anger and annoyance. "There's only one thing you need to know and only one thing that matters." She stepped closer to the edge of the bed, leaning down to get as close to the other woman as possible without actually climbing back into the bed with her. "I'll say this as many times as you need to hear it, but you had better believe I mean it." The intensity of her eyes was startling. "I. Am. Not. Ashamed. Of. Us. Do you understand, Maura? I'm not ashamed of us, or scared that we're finally together, or worried what other people are going to say. Screw them all. I want to be with you, and I _like_ that you marked me." She pulled back with a look of sudden shock. "Holy crap, I actually like the fact you gave me a hickey."

"Is… is that a bad thing?" Maura's voice was small, quiet.

"No. It's just that I've always _hated_ it when my boyfriends even so much as _tried_ to give me a hickey. That would end the date, and, sometimes, the relationship. I don't do hickeys. But, from you," her bewildered gaze fell back to the doctor, "I'm totally cool with it." She rolled her eyes. "Go figure, I don't want to be marked by a man, but one amazing, talented, smart, funny, quirky, good-looking woman does it, and I'm more than okay with it." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. "How did I miss the fact that I'm a… yeah… okay. I'm going to go start breakfast."

"Okay, but, Jane… the store?"

"Only if you don't want anyone to know. Otherwise, I don't care. If they ask, which I doubt they will, I'll tell them the truth." Jane shrugged.

"What about your family? Shouldn't they know before everyone else? Angela will be very upset if she's the last to know." Maura finally crawled out of the bed to stand next to the taller woman.

"You okay with people knowing, then?"

Eyes sparkling with humor, Maura ran a finger gently over the mark. "I gave you a hickey where you couldn't cover it up."

"You _planned_ this?" The detective fell short of actually sounding angry. Maura gave a shrug in response. "Figures. Hold on." Jane stepped around to pick up her cell and hit the speed dial for her mother. It rang twice before Angela's bright, sunny voice answered the phone. "Hey, Ma, got a second?"

"_Jane? It's 5:30 in the morning. You're never up this early. Is everything okay?"_

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just got to tell you something, and we figure you should know before everyone else does." She sat on her bed, one arm crossed over her stomach as she watched Maura gather things to get ready for work while she listened to the conversation.

"_We? We who? Know what?"_

"We… me and Maura." Jane chewed her bottom lip, suddenly anxious at what she was about to say.

"_You and Maura? Jane, has something happened to Maura? Is she okay? Are you okay?"_

"Ma," frustration was seeping in. It was a good thing. It helped Jane focus. "Maura is fine." Maura was standing beside the bed in nothing but Jane's 'Scare Yourself Everyday' t-shirt. "She's great, even. I just… well, we… Ma, Maura and I are…God, this is harder than I thought it was going to be." She signed. Maura sat down in front of her, taking her free hand and holding it, giving silent support.

"_Janie, what are you trying to tell me? You know you can tell me anything. I'm your mother."_

"I know, Ma, but this isn't something I thought I'd be telling you over the phone. It's just that, I can't cover this up, and it's going to be all over the station by the end of the day, and we didn't want you to be the last to know, and…"

"_Jane, are you and Maura dating?"_

"And… what?" Shock was plainly written across the detective's features.

"_Are you and Maura dating?"_

"We… yes. Yeah, Ma. Maura and I are dating." Jane looked at the doctor with a smile.

"_Finally! Took you two long enough. So, what? Did she give you a hickey you can't cover up or something?"_

"Really? 'Finally' is all you have to say? Your only daughter tells you she's a… she's dating a woman, and all you can say is 'finally'?"

"_What else is there to say? You already know I adore Maura; she's practically family already. You know I've told you I don't care who you date as long as you're happy. So, what's the problem? You __**want**__ me to be upset?"_

"No! No… I'm really glad, actually, that you're so okay with this. It's just that… you always surprise me, Ma."

"_I'm your mother. I love you no matter what you do or who you love, and, if you love them, then I probably will, too… she gave you a hickey, didn't she?"_

"Ma!"

"_Well?"_

"Yes, she gave me a hickey," the defeat in Jane's voice made Maura smile. It was cute.

"_Good girl. It's about time she staked a claim."_

"Really? I can't believe I'm having this conversation. Look, I have to go. Maura and I have to be at work in an hour."

"_Okay, sweetie. We'll talk later. Come by tonight, and I'll cook you two dinner."_

"Yeah, okay. I'll call you tonight. Love you. Bye." Jane tossed her phone back on the nightstand. "Well, that went well."

"So it would seem."

"Ma wants us to come to dinner tonight." Jane rolled her eyes. "She said she was happy we finally hooked up, and she said it was about time you staked a claim."

Maura's grin widened. "I'm glad she approves. I'm going to go take a shower now." With that, the doctor leaned over, gently kissed her lover, and stood to head to the bathroom.

"Oh man," a groan rumbled through the dark haired brunette as she watched her shirt fall to the floor, "You're a tease, Maura."

"Yes, but you like it."

"Yeah, God help me, I think I do. Go," she covered her eyes. "Please go before I jump you, and we're late for work, AND I have a hickey."

Maura's light chuckle echoed through the room as she left to shower and get ready for the day.

"It's going to be a long day," Jane groaned as she stood to dress and get breakfast started.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading. Reviews are always welcomed.<strong>


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